A Chinese Biographical Dictionary/Chang Fang-p'ing

by Herbert A. Giles

50Chang Fang-p'ing 張方平 (T. 安道. H. 樂全). A.D. 1007–1091. A native of Nanking, who when a boy had such a retentive memory that he could remember anything he had once read over. Being too poor to buy books, he borrowed the 三史 Three Histories from a friend; and within a hundred days, he had thoroughly mastered the contents of this voluminous work. Entering the public service, he rose by 1064 to be President of the Board of Rites. He strenuously opposed the advancement of Wang An-shih; and when the latter came into power, he openly denounced his "innovations," and then retired into private life. A prolific writer, he was never known to make a rough draft. Canonised as 文定.